Sanosuke and the bean adventure
by Susan Ann
Summary: Have you ever wondered why Megumi went to Aizu and Sanosuke toured the world? Well here is my fairy tale to answer that question.


Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or Rurouni Kenshin characters. This is fiction and for entertainment purposes only.   
  
  
  
Sanosuke and the bean adventure  
  
  
  
~ Once upon a time there was an ex-gangster named Sanosuke who was indebted to a woman name Tae. He would eat his meals at her establishment and then run off before she could catch him.  
  
But she knew that someday he would pay her, so she just kept a total of the amount of money he owed her.  
  
One day Sanosuke was gambling with his friends and luck was sitting in his lap. He won some money and decided to give Tae some of the money he owed her. But before he was able to reach her restaurant he bumped into Dr. Gensai.  
  
"Sorry," said Sanosuke reaching out to steady the old man.  
  
"I'm late, I'm late for a very important date. Boy, am I late, Sanosuke do you have the correct time?" asked Dr. Gensai while holding an open pocket watch. He was dressed in a western suit complete with vest and top hat. On his nose, he wore a pair of glasses that were constantly falling down, making him reach to push them back up.  
  
"I never worry about time unless I'm hungry and then it's time to eat. What are you late for?" asked Sanosuke, reaching up to scratch his head.  
  
"Oh, I am so late and I have these magic beans that I must sell. I need the money to buy some red hearts for a tea party that I am late for. Oh, woe is me," he said his face a picture of sadness.  
  
"Magic beans. What do they do?" asked Sanosuke, fascinated that Dr. Gensai would have something so wonderful as magic beans.  
  
"They are supposed to take you to a path where you can find the richest of treasures," he said, grinning as he looked up at Sanosuke, "Oh, I am so late, I must go. If I don't show up for the tea party then the girls will yell, 'off with his head' and my head will go rolling without me."  
  
"How much money would you sell them for?" asked Sanosuke, trying to figure in his head how much money he had without taking it out of his pocket.  
  
"I don't know. They are priceless. But I am in a hurry, so I would sell them to you for any money you have," he said, closing his pocket watch returning it to his pocket.  
  
So Sanosuke gave Gr. Gensai his money for the magical beans. His head was filled with wonderful thoughts of finding enough treasure so that he could live like an emperor and buy anything that his heart desired.  
  
As soon as Dr. Gensai received the money, he started running, yelling, "I am late, for a very important date."  
  
Sanosuke took the beans home, set them on the floor, and watched them all night long. Nothing happened. For the next two days, he watched the beans, and still nothing happened.  
  
In the evening of the third day when there was still no path, he became angry with himself for spending all his money on some worthless beans.  
  
In his anger, he threw the beans out the window and found his way to his favorite gambling house, where he was able to bum enough money to purchase some sake.  
  
Returning home late at night, he was surprised to find a very large branch inside his house, which was attached to a rather large beanstalk, just outside the window.  
  
He climbed out the window and started up the beanstalk.  
  
He stopped for a moment to take in the wonder of Tokyo as the lights from the houses made the ground below him give off a warm glow.  
  
Climbing for what seemed like hours, he came to the top of the stalk. Looking around, all he could see was white clouds.  
  
As he walked away from the beanstalk the clouds started to move apart revealing a path with a sign that stated, "Do not stray from this path".  
  
Sanosuke was very excited at finding the path that Dr. Gensai had told him about and his head was again filled with thoughts of finding the treasure.  
  
He walked along the path, the clouds dissipating, as the country opening up into a beautiful landscape. The forest floor was carpeted with a soft green grass, with bright green trees and flowers of every shape and color of the rainbow.  
  
He was so intent on the crispness and clarity of the surrounding area that he failed to notice that he was no longer on the path. Thinking that he wouldn't be able to find the treasure, he started hunting for the path. He walked for hours until he began to think that he would never find his way out of the forest.  
  
Determined not to give up, he came to a rather large stone building. On the side of the building was a sign that said, "If lost directions inside".  
  
Sanosuke scratched his head and walked around the building looking for a door. But alas there was no door. Well he could fix that with his fists. With only one blow of his Futae no Kiwami the entire wall cracked and fell to the ground, nothing but dust.  
  
There in the middle of the building glowing as bright as sunlight was a beautiful woman. Her lips were ruby red, her hair a deep dark black and her skin was white as a porcelain doll. She was dressed in a light pink kimono with a silver obi.  
  
As he approached her, she reached out and took his right hand in hers, healing it instantly. What a treasure, he had found. Now he just needed to find some treasure that he could use to repay his debts and live like an emperor.  
  
He took a moment to look around for the directions that the sign had said were inside. But finding nothing but the beautiful woman, he began to doubt that there ever was any directions available.  
  
"My name is Megumi and I can show you where to go," said Megumi, smiling sweetly at him.  
  
"Can you take me to the treasure?" asked Sanosuke, taking her hand, he looked into her eyes.  
  
"But I am a treasure," said Megumi, puzzled that he wouldn't think of her as a treasure.  
  
"I know that but I can't use you to pay my bills or live like an emperor," said Sanosuke, continuing to look for more treasure.  
  
"Foolish man, very well then, follow me," said Megumi, stepping out of the building and walking into the forest with Sanosuke following close behind her.  
  
They soon came to another brick building with a sign that said, "Giant Treasure".  
  
"Here it is inside this building," said Megumi, backing away from the building.  
  
The building was constructed of solid stone with one small window to allow air inside. Peering inside the window, Sanosuke could see a goose sitting on a nest.  
  
"What's the big deal with the goose?" asked Sanosuke, testing the strength of the stone.  
  
"That goose lays golden eggs," said Megumi. Crossing her arms, she scowled at him.  
  
Again he used his Futae no Kiwami. The ground shook as stone shattered leaving a gaping hole in the wall of the stone building.  
  
The ground continued to shake getting louder and louder.  
  
"It's the Giant. If he finds you here, he will surely eat you," said Megumi, walking past him. Reaching the goose, she gently ran her hand over its head, cooing softly.  
  
"What about you?" asked Sanosuke, watching her pet the goose.  
  
"I'll be all right, he needs me," said Megumi, a smile returning to her face.  
  
"Come with me foxy lady," said Sanosuke extending his hand to Megumi.  
  
Megumi hesitated in answering and the Giant was getting closer, so Sanosuke made the decision for her. He grabbed her and in one swift motion hefted her over his shoulder. With the goose under his arm and Megumi giving him directions, he started running toward the beanstalk.  
  
When he reached the beanstalk, he set Megumi back on her feet and motioned for her to start down.  
  
The goose squawked trying to flap its wings as Sanosuke and Megumi continued down the stalk.  
  
Before they were able to make it half way down, the stalk suddenly started to sway back and forth. Sanosuke and Megumi held on as tight as they could to the stalk.  
  
Loosing his hold on the goose, Sanosuke watched as it slowly flew away.  
  
With the added weigh of the giant, the beanstalk suddenly broke.  
  
Sanosuke and Megumi landed in a small town called Aizu where Megumi opened a clinic while she waited for Sanosuke to return with the goose that lays the golden eggs.  
  
~ "And that is what happed to Uncle Sanosuke."  
  
"OH," came a soft reply, "but what happened to the giant?"  
  
"Now that is a good question to ask Uncle Sanosuke when he returns."  
  
  
  
The End  
  
I hope that you enjoyed my story and don't forget to review. 


End file.
